I used to think that a gathered skirt was the easiest skirt to sew. But I may have changed my tune. A circle skirt is possibly even easier!….especially if you leave the elastic exposed.If you’ve ever made a poodle skirt before, it’s the same concept. Your fabric is cut in a circle, like a donut. Then the elastic is sewn on top to create a waistband. The circle hangs right from your waist and allows the fabric to drape beautifully around you.Once you’ve created your pattern, you can whip up 4 skirts in an hour! Make them for your kids! Make one for you! Make one for every birthday gift coming up. These are definitely my new go-to present.Okay, let’s get started.(NOTE: Additional tips for making an ADULT SIZE SKIRT are at the very end of this post)

FABRICS to use:
* Rayon
* Polyester Charmuese
* Simple Cotton
* Thin Corduroy
* Lightweight Wool
Many fabrics will work for this project. Lightweight fabrics will be more bouncy, and synthetic rayons and polyester will slink and spin around beautifully. The gray fabric we’re using today is rayon with a subtle visible weave pattern.FOR WOMEN: Avoid fabrics that are medium weight or thicker as they may add extra bulk around your hips. In the polka dot skirt above, I used a silky polyester charmeuse (feels like a silk scarf). It drapes beautifully and keeps the padding down.

ELASTIC:
Wide elastic from fabric stores typically comes 2 inches or 3 inches wide; white or black in color. I recommend 2-inch wide for a girl’s skirt , and 3-inch for an adult.

If you’d like to add a colorful twist to your skirt, check out our easy Tutorial for Dyeing Elastic HERE.Measure around your girl’s waist. You don’t want it to be so tight that she can’t breathe. But if the elastic’s too loose on her waist, it will look funny. So measure as precisely as you can and add an extra 1 inch for your seam allowance. For Lucy’s skirt, she measures 19 inches around the waist, plus an extra inch = 20 inches of elastic.PATTERN:
This requires a bit of geometry but don’t worry, we’ll break it down for you. I’ve tried to keep it as simple as possible with a small diagram and a few definitions:

Circumference = the entire distance around a circle (in this case, your waist length, plus 2 inches)Radius = the distance from the center of the circle to the outside of the circlepi (that funny symbol below) = 3.14 (approximately)

You need to figure out the radius so you can easily draw a circle. If you remember from math class: Circumference = 2 x pi x r (radius). I’ve flipped the equation around a bit and came up with this diagram:Let me break it down a little more:
* Measure your waist
* Add two inches to that number. You need these extra two inches so the fabric has “give” and will actually “stretch” when it’s sewn on to the elastic. It will create a very subtle gather to the skirt but will make it easier to get the skirt on and off. This will make more sense as you sew.
* Take your “waist + 2 inches” measurement and divide it by 6.28, and you have the radius!
* In Lucy’s case….
Her waist is 19 inches, plus 2 inches = 21 inches divided by 6.28 = 3.3 inch radius.

(NOTE: One method for drawing your circle is to tie string or yarn to a pencil, hold the string in the corner of your paper and draw, just like you did in grade school with a compass. For me it was easier to use a ruler, which I’ll show you below. So do what works best for you!)

* You only need to draw 1/4 of a donut circle for your pattern, so….
* Take a piece of paper (or many pieces of paper taped together).*In the bottom left corner, at the right angle, place the end of a ruler and measure and mark the radius in various places. It might be hard to figure out on a ruler where 3.3 inches is, but do your best. Since the skirt has a small gather to it, you have room for error.Then connect the dots to draw 1/4 of a circle! Just free hand it. With enough markings, you can draw it pretty well.* Decide how long your want your skirt to be. Lucy’s gray skirt hits her about an inch or two above the knee, and her skirt length is about 9 1/2 inches. Add an extra inch for the hem and the top seam (near the elastic). It’s always best to make it slightly longer than you think, so you have room for error. You can always cut length off as you create the hem.
* With your ruler on the edge of the circle just drawn, measure and mark the skirt length in various spots on your pattern, and

draw another 1/4 circle:

Now you have a donut! (or at least 1/4 of it). Cut off the center circle and your pattern is ready.Let’s cut the fabric….
* Fold your fabric in 4ths, so you have a right-angled corner to work with. Lay your 1/4 donut pattern on top, so that the edges hit the edges of your fabric. Mark it and cut!When you’re done, it should look like this (the skirt is folded in half):First, finish off the top of the skirt. Serge around the waist. If you don’t have a serger, you can zigzag the edge, leave it raw, or iron the waist down 1/4 of an inch and iron it down another 1/4 of an inch. It just depends on your preference. Personally I don’t like any raw edges in my garment since it starts to fray as you wash.When you’re done it should look like this:Let’s sew the elastic waistband.
With the elastic folded in half, sew it together, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance:Next, if you prefer, serge each seam edge separately to seal off the raw edges. Do not serge the seam together since you’re going to be fanning it out.Fan the seam out and sew down each side. This will help the waistband lay flatter on your skirt.I use the inside of my presser foot to guide me down, so I’m sewing evenly on each side.When you’re done, it should look like this on the right side:Add a label if you’d like and you’re ready to attach the waistband to your skirt. It’s always best to try the elastic band on your child before sewing on the skirt. I made this mistake and when I tried the finished skirt on Lucy, the elastic ended up being one inch too big and I had to take the whole thing apart.As you can see, the elastic is slightly smaller than the fabric waist. This is good! If they were exactly the same size and you sewed the fabric onto the elastic, you would never be able to stretch the elastic at all (unless you had used stretchy fabric). It would snap the thread as you tried to stretch the skirt on and off. Thus, the extra fabric length will give a slight gather to the skirt and create some “give”.Start pinning the elastic band to the skirt. Find the middle of the back of the skirt and pin that first. Pin the elastic so that it hangs about 1/4 of an inch on top of the skirt.

Like this:

Then flip the skirt over and pin it in the middle of the front of the skirt:Then pin the elastic down on both sides of the skirt.

It should look something like this:

Then continue cutting the gaps in half by pinning the elastic down. You can pin as much or as little as you like.I usually pin down about 8 spots:Now let’s sew it on. The important part here is that you need to stretch the elastic as you go, so that it’s taut with the fabric. Use both hands as you go, pulling it straight in the front and the back and sew from pin to pin, stretching it bits at a time.Here’s a side view. This is how it looks relaxed:And here’s how it should look when pulled taut:You’ll need your hand in the back to help guide everything through.You can use a zigzag or a straight stitch. I’ve tried both and prefer a straight-stitch because it looks a bit cleaner. When you’re done it should look like this on the outside:

and this on the inside:

We’re almost done! We just need to hem the skirt. Trim any uneven spots around the bottom of the skirt or if you want it to be shorter, cut off the extra length.Serge around the bottom of the skirt. If you don’t have a serger, iron the edge over 1/4 of an inch and continue to the next step.Iron the edge of the skirt under. I prefer a very small hem on this skirt so that it bounces and twirls better.Then sew the hem down, about 1/8 inch from the fabric edge.And you’re done!Try it on,Give it a whirl!And enjoy a little treat.Happy spinning!Tips for making an Adult version: * I followed the same instructions outlined in this tutorial. * I recommend sticking to very lightweight fabrics. This skirt was made with a slinky polyester charmeuse (feels similar to a silky scarf) and it drapes beautifully. I made another version, which I’ll share later, with a thicker wool tweed and it adds a bit more bulk to the hip area. With Lucy, that’s not a problem. With me, I’d like to minimize the padding.* 60-inch wide fabric works best. Depending on your waist size and the length of your skirt you can cut an entire circle using 60-inch wide fabric. My circle pattern just barely made it and took about 1 1/2 yards of fabric (I purchased 2 yards just to be safe).* If you have 45-inch wide fabric, or if your circle is bigger than the fabric, you can cut two semi-circles and have two seams down the sides. You’ll have to do a little math to figure how many yards of fabric you need. Make your pattern first and then work out the math. I would recommend using fabrics with a pattern to disguise the seams.* The dimensions of my skirt are:
Elastic waistband – 29 inches
Radius – 4.75 inches (appx)
Length – 22 inches (long enough to hit my knees).
I typically wear a size 4 or 6 in skirts.

If newspapers are still printed in your community, ask about end rolls. They usually come in two sizes–single page and double page–and for $5-$10 you can get enough blank paper to make a LOT of patterns.

Thanks for posting such a great tutorial. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, and the poodle skirt I made for my 9 year old for the Father/Daughter Sock Hop turned out better than I could have hoped! I may have to invest in a serger now…

Hi and thank you fro the tutorial. This is such a cute skirt. I do have a questions, though. I am making 14 of these for costumes and need to know how to handle a bigger hip measurement than the give in the waist will allow. there seems to be about 4 inches of “give” in the wasit as written, but in some cases I need 5 or 6. Can you assist? thanks so much!

You’ll have to leave the waistband open. I cut a 4-5 inch slit in the centre back, turn the edges under a quarter of an inch, then use two skirt hook and eyes on the turned-under edges of the elastic waistband.

I had the same question. (For myself, that is… rather curvy.)
Use the hip measurement instead of the waist measurement to cut the inside of your circle. There will be more gathering, but using lightweight fabric that won’t be a problem.

Great tutorial. I never thought to use elastic for the waistband. Did you know that the hole in the end of your tape measure is perfect for marking out the circle for the pattern. Just pin the tape measure through the hole at the corner of your paper/fabric and work around with the tape measure.

holy cow, this is genius. I sat there for about thirty minutes trying to do my circles and eventually gave up. once I read this I ran to get my tape measure…and I cant believe I never thought of this before. Thank you for that great tip!

@Hattye, I remembered your comment and took it one further. I marked my pattern directly onto the folded fabric. That is the perfect way to get full use of your fabric since you can measure directly on the edge of the fabric and not have to try and get the pattern just right. I did have to have someone else hold the pin for me, but it was so quick and easy. Oh, and cutting it with scissors was so much easier than using my rotary cutter. I love my rotary cutter and rarely use my expensive scissors but the scissors make this much easier, especially on adult sizes.

Thanks for the tutorial. I just made one for my daughter’s school sock hop, and she LOVES it. Her sister’s is next. Question though…any advice on lining the skirt (technique/fabric)? I’d like to make one for myself with a light cotton I have.

for a lining…..make two skirts and then sew them together at the top when you sew the elastic on. I would leave the hems separate, so it’s like a slip. But if that bothers you just hem them together at the end.

What fun, I can’t wait to try this – quick question, do you think a 1.5 inch elastic will work out ok – I found some really cute colors/patterns, but only in 1.5 inch?
Thank you for you time and help!!

The problem that comes up with hemming a circle skirt is r/t the fact(s) that it is largely cut on the bias and that as the fabric slants out it gets wider. In order to overcome some of the twisting you can try two things. One, if you are finishing the edges with a serger with differential feed, tighten your stitch so that it puckers just a tiny bit (only for the hem, not the top where you will attach elastic), this ease will pull the hem in just slightly and make the hem a bit easier. Two, if you don’t have a serger, you can use a seam along the bottom of the skirt with a slightly tighter tension which will do the same thing. When pressing the hem up use a LOT of steam to press the fabric into submission. If you are new to sewing and don’t know what bias means, it is the diagonal on woven (not knit) fabric and is much more stretchy than the straight or cross grain of the fabric.

So the hem with the right side up – the feed dogs of your sewing machine help with the ease. If you sew with the right side up the feed dogs make it worse….(can’t remember how it works exactly just remember that’s the result!) 🙂

So the hem with the right side up – the feed dogs of your sewing machine help with the ease. If you sew with the right side down the feed dogs make it worse….(can’t remember how it works exactly just remember that’s the result!) 🙂

I get a roll of freezer paper at the grocery store and use that. It’s big enough even for most plus-size pattern pieces and the wax coating on the back of the paper adds durability and helps prevent tearing. You can get a lot of patterns from a roll of freezer paper. It’s also relatively inexpensive – less than $6 for a 75 sq. ft. roll, even on Amazon.com.

You can usually get a roll of the pare doctors offices use on the exam tables for about $8. I’ve found it at 2 different medical supply stores. I’m not sure how many feet/yards are on a roll but I had a roll last about 6 years, including pattern design classes at WSU.

You can also go to your local newspaper and they usually give you the end rolls from printing for free…… they work great for packing paper and i’m thinking for this too…… there is usually a ton of paper left on these “end rolls” i even use them for crafts for my kids….

What a darling skirt. Going to try and make this for my daughter today. She saw a picture of this and wanted it above all the others I showed her. Thanks for a great tutorial. I looked at some other circle skirt tutorials and yours was the most clear. Thanks!

Taffeta is usually 60 inches or there about as well. I have two made of taffeta. My first one has black flocked polka dots and has washed up fine, cold gentle, tumble dry delicate. It has really softened up. The flocking does start coming off a bit but it still looks good. The other I just made with zebra stripe flocking. It is still really stiff but I made a drop waist and it wore nicely. I hope that it holds up just as well as the other one. It has so much more flocking I worry that it may start looking bad with machine washes.

I made one of these today and it went so well. Thanks so much for the pattern and tips. It made it so much easier than trying to eyeball it myself. I used an up-cycled elastic waistband from a pair of my daughter’s old shorts.

If it’s just the feeling of the elastic the bothers your daughter, have her tuck in a shirt under the elastic. Then the elastic won’t touch her skin and bother it.

54) Tania

I made two of these using a stretchy fabric. I used a slightly smaller radius than the actual waist measure/6.28 for the waist 1/4 circle. The actual waist circumference falls on the sewing line, so when the skirt is on, the fabric is neither stretched nor gathered at the waistband, but falls flat.
I made the waistband out of the same fabric (rectangle length = waist measure – 2 inches (instead of +2!) , width = 2 times the desired finished width of the waistband). I sewed the ends of the rectangle together first to make a circle, then folded the circle in half with the seam on the inside and sewed the edges together. Sewed the skirt part to the sewn double edge of the waistband. I subtracted instead of adding to the waist measure because the fabric was plenty stretchy to go over the hips, and I wanted it to be somewhat taut even when on the body to support the weight of the skirt.
Because of the fabric type, I left the bottom edge of the skirt unhemmed. It looks fine, and has been through many washings.
They turned out great! My teen girls wear them to school and church.

Thanks so much for this tutorial! I just posted a link to this from my blog. Your directions were very easy to follow and I LOVED the way it turned out! This is the first article of clothing that I have made for myself and I can’t wait to wear it in the Spring. Thanks again!

Hi ! Having just lost 145 lbs., I was looking for an easy pattern for a dance skirt…EUREKA ! Did I say I just had my 58th birthday in February ?! Thanx and be blessed ! Like Ahhnold said, I willl be back !

Thank you so much for this easy skirt Dana! My daughter is having a Little Einsteins birthday party and REALLY wanted to dress like June from the show. I was struggling with how to make the dress when one of my readers said I should check you site and man am I glad she did. This skirt with the wide waist band TOTALLY can mimic the June dress. It worked perfectly and my daughter LOVES the outfit. 🙂 You can see mine here: http://www.733blog.com/2012/03/handmade-twill-tape-labels.html
I even made some labels to add to the back like you do and love the look. 🙂

This is lovely! I made two of these, but I added pockets to one of them. I put a pocket into each side seam of the skirt so they are hidden. I have been getting so many compliments! I’ve been telling everyone about your wonderful tutorials, keep up the great work! 🙂

Thank you for the step by step……math, geometry, and anything in that category was not my subject lol. I can not get onto my circle skirt. I have been dying to do this for my girls for a while now…again thanks!!!!

Do you think the pre-smocked fabrc they have at Jo-Anns would work for the waist? My daughter is having spirit weel next week and one of the days is decade day. She wants to wear something 50s inspired.

I know that this is two years old and won’t help you anymore, but just in case anyone else sees it an elastic smocked waist (also called elastic shirring), would work fine just so the skirt is not too heavy for it. But I would encourage doing the elastic shirring yourself. It is really easy, even with a Brother machine. With the Brother machines you have to take the whole, opaque, grey plastic plate off when loading bobbin, not just the clear smoked plastic cover. Then make sure you pull the elastic thread through the little notch in the metal bobbin housing, this is the tension notch. Pull some of the elastic bobbin thread through and then manually turn the needle wheel and draw up the elastic thread through the throat plate (same as drawing up regular bobbin thread), and pull out a couple inches or sew. Then lengthen your stitch. Start with back stitching then do a straight stitch. Do as many rows as needed about 1/4 or so apart. Make sure you you stretch the elastic back out so you are sewing subsequent rows on flat fabric. When you are done back stitch, leave a little elastic at the end to sew down for extra security. Then blast it with some hot steam for it it shrink up even more.

Thank you so much for this tutorial. So simple, straightforward and clearly explained. I made one of these skirts for myself about a week ago, and it is my new favourite skirt. The whole process took under an hour, including measuring and drafting the pattern ~ and I am NOT a very accomplished seamstress. Today, I helped my daughter make herself a skirt for Easter. She LOVES it. I posted pics on my FB page. Not sure if you’ll be able to view them, but here’s hoping.

Thanks for the tutorial – I’m a complete novice so I’m glad to have it all spelled out for me – but am I missing when the sides of the skirt get sewn together? Do I do it before sewing the skirt to the waistband??? perhaps I just have preggo brain and missed that step!

Thank you so much for this tutorial. I just have a quick question that I am hoping you can answer. I want to add tulle under the circle skirt to make it more frilly. Its for my nieces birthday outfit. How would you suggest adding in tulle? Measure it out like the cirlce skirt and add it to the waist band and then add a lining so it doesnt make the legs itch? Thank you so much!

My daughter needed a costume for school tomorrow… Nothing like getting news the night before. Anyway, I have not sewn anything in over 15 years. I used a cotton sheet and elastic I cut out of old yoga pants. I followed the directions except, instead of making a pattern on paper, I drew on the wrong side of the fabric with washable marker. The skirt turned out simply amazing. I will be making more of these for everyday use.

I made my 2 year old the circle skirt. I love it! So easy and cute! But, question. I want to make myself one, but I want it around 27 in. long, so I need to do the 2 semi circles. How exactly do you do the 2 semi circles? Maybe I’m dumb, but I can’t figure it out. Thanks!

hi Dana, really thankful for this tutorial! I made one for my friend,but it was a dress actually,all those super duper math really worked! Thank you! But now i need a lil help here,im planning to make circle skirt using chiffon,and ofcourse the lining,what do you think should i use,invisble zipper or elastic?thank you Dana

hi Dana, really thankful for this tutorial! I made one for my friend,but it was a dress actually,all those super duper math really worked! Thank you! But now i need a lil help here,im planning to make circle skirt using chiffon,and ofcourse the lining,what do you think should i use,invisble zipper or elastic or button?thank you Dana

dana,really thankful for this tutorial! I made a polkadot dress with circle skirt for my friend,and she loves it! Now i need a lil help,im planning to make circle skirt using chiffon and lining ofcourse,what should i use best,zipper or elastic or button? Thank you Dana!

Hi There! Just finished making my 17 yr old daughter a skirt for DECADE Day at school. (She originally wanted a Poodle Skirt, but saw Polka Dot material like your yellow/black skirt so decided to that instead, plus she wanted it with a little tulle under it.) Me being a perfectionist, it turned out okay. My daughter however loved it! My tulle didn’t turn out as I quite expected. How WOULD you add tulle to it to make it a little ‘fluffy’?

I would add a another layer under the skirt (sew the two layers together at the waist) and make the bottom layer similar to the layered skirt Tutorial (http://www.madeeveryday.com/2012/03/tutorial-the-layered-skirt.html), with the top section being cotton, and then tulle layers to it. Of course you probably need something under that too so it’s not too scratchy. But that’s where I’d start. Maybe that’s what you did…..

Dana, I am hoping you can help with a question I have. I have been making skirts using that adorable pre-ruffled fabric like the yellow you used on the cute swimsuit, and attaching an exposed elastic waistband. My problem is that I gather the ruffled fabric before attaching it to the elastic with a twin needle and because of the bulk of all the fabric, my stitches keep skipping and it looks horrible! I know I could stretch the elastic as I go and attach to the fabric that way instead of gathering it, but then I can’t get the fulness I desire. Any tips?!? (Sorry if this is confusing.) I’ve looked everywhere for help!!

my sewing machine was given to me and it is a singer merritt 2404 and in order to have different sewing patterns you need these discs…and i dont have them. so my machine only does a straight pattern. will that be a problem?

Hello. I’m making one of these for my little one as part of my ‘stash busting’ sewing weekend. My fabric has finally reached critical mass and needs reduced! Anyhow, just wanted to share another idea for your readers…instead of wide elastic at the waist you could use rib knit. Depending on the rib count you want it to be about 4 inches less than your actual waist size as it stretches a lot! To use rib knit – cut a piece of rib knit double your waist band width, your desired length (the easiest way to do this is actually to make the waist band and try it on the child), sew the rib together to make a continuous loop and then fold it in half with the wrong sides together. Mark the 1/4 round marks on the skirt and the rib knit. Align the rib knit raw edges to the skirt raw edges right sides together matching those 1/4 marks. Serge the rib to the skirt – this is easiest done with the rib on top, you will stretch the rib between those quarter marks. Fold up the waistband and press the seam toward the skirt, iron carefully and try not to touch the rib, the top stitch around the top of the skirt through the waistband seam. If you look around you can find rib in all sorts of bright colors (but buy it when you find it colored as sometimes I can only find white). Viola!

Hi! I made your market skirt for my 7 months baby and it came out great!
Now I want to make this one but I have a little problem with my daughter’s measurement. She is a kind of chunky girl so her waist is 17 3/4 inchs but her thighs is 23 1/2 inchs. So if i make the waistband wth her actual waist size, the skirt won’t be able to go up any higher than her knees. Can you give me any advice?
I would really appreciate if you could give me any advice:) Thank you!

have been searching all over for a circle skirt but have not found one that fit what i was looking for, but then i found your tut and was able to make the skirt of my dreams for a fun pool party im hosting this weekend!!! cant wait to debut it!!

the elastic dyeing was nooooo joke, but will post feedback on that post…

Loved this tutorial! I cheated and picked up a circle tablecloth at the thrift store (half off!). Boy, was it quick to sew up! My skirt turned out great and was already “pre-hemmed”! It limits the length, but my 68″ round tablecloth with a 6.05 radius waist cut-out (ha, do the math backwards if you really need to know my waist size!) hits a few inches above the ankle– of course I’m only 5 foot!
Sew easy!
I’ll be linking up to your tutorial when I post this on my blog! Thanks!

Thanks for the tutorial! I made one of these for me, and I have the fabric for 2 more! I have found that a twin bed sheet gives me enough fabric for the length that I want. (I’m 5’5″) It hits right below the knee. I would also recommend using a non-directional print. My first one is a striped fabric, and since it is all on the bias the stripes hang straight up and down on the sides and sideways on the front and back. It doesn’t bother me enough to not wear it, but enough that I wouldn’t do it again!

I’ve been drooling over this pattern/tutorial for quite awhile, and am finally giving it a go today!

i made the pattern but for the life of me i don’t know what i’m doing wrong when i cut the fabric… i lay it in 1/4ths (i think?!?!) but when i cut it it comes out in two pieces instead of the one big circle. i’m just going to sew the two side seams, but jeepers, i feel so stupid that i can’t figure this out! maybe more coffee will help…..

This happened to me too. I just flipped it over and sewed on the finished side so I could keep it straight. Just make sure you have enough fabric on the otherside since you can’t really see it while you’re sewing.

I had the fabric and knew I wanted to make it a circle skirt, but waited to cut it out for a few months because I had convinced myself the math part would be too complicated. A few weeks ago I just sat down and did it and it was so much easier than I thought it would be! Thanks for an easy-to-follow tutorial!

I love this! I have been looking for an easy 50’s style skirt pattern. I didn’t want to make one that I had to wear a petty coat under. This will be perfect! And I bet I could easily turn it into a dress pattern if I wanted! Man the wheels are turning now! Thanks so much!

Thanks for the tutorial! I made it in a few hours & it was pretty easy! I ended up buying 2 & 1/2 yards of 58″ red & white polka dot fabric & had just enough for the skirt & then some. I would have liked it to be a tad bit longer but I couldn’t find any good 60″ fabric at Joann’s (& the one I got was one sale for only $3 a yard)…

Dana, I’m not a beginning sewer, but I can not figure out how to get my stitches to look nice when I stitch on the elastic while it’s stretched. Once the elastic is relaxed, the stitches pucker and look like the tension is way too loose. I’ve tried making the tension tighter (or even using a stretch stitch) but then the thread does not stretch and have any give with the elastic. What am I doing wrong? Thanks.

This is the CUTEST skirt! I would like to make this myself, but waist bands usually need to go higher on me. I’m going to try it and see what happens!
By the way, I saw that purl soho now carries a line of colored elastic. thanks for the less expensive alternative! you’re ahead of the trends!

I found a nice (yet expensive) circle skirt in denim with no waistband showing.
I know it is more of a thicker fabric. Would I be able to remake it? Do you have any tips with using denim or hiding the waistband?

Ok, so I’m new to sewing. I tried this tutorial and my daughters skirt is really cute!!!! It did not come out quite like yours though… I had to add a layer because I cut it too short…but I was able to recover.

Thank you so much for this! This is one of the best tutorials I have seen so far. I could follow all the instructions very easily and had not a single question in mind because all the information was just there. Thank you! I love my skirt and I linked back to your tutorial….

Depends on how wide your fabric is. If it’s 45 inches (that’s pretty much the standard), you’ll need anywhere from three to four yards — and you’ll have to cut semi-circles or quarter panels/gores, depending on the fabric’s pattern. If your fabric is 60 inches, you’re looking at two to three yards to be able to cut the circle.

Your best bet is to find an old queen or king size top sheet — buy one at a thrift store if necessary — and use it as a trial run. Follow all the directions above and you should end up with a circle like Dana described. Once you have this, you can use it as your pattern piece. That way you can open it up to cut semi-circles or fold it over to cut quarter panels/gores (or use as Dana describes if your fabric is wide enough).

This DOES work. I spent this past weekend doing just that. Due to differing yardage and a doh!moment when I bought stripes, I ended up cutting quarter panels out of three pieces of fabric and semi-circles out of the other four. Just be sure to smooth the fabric pattern piece very carefully so you don’t have too many wrinkles.

Also, you may need to add a couple of inches to your waist length to allow for seam allowances and still have extra give for the elastic. I’m adding zippers to most of mine so it’s not a big issue, but if you’re using elastic it’s definitely something to keep in mind.

Your tutorials are great! And I love this skirt. I’m following you from Norway. I have a question about your elastic. Is it knitted, woven or braided? I’m looking to buy elastic I can stitch on to fabric like your circle skirt. I believe there are some elastic you can’t stitch through? I’ve tried google’ing, but I’m confused. Your elastic looks very nice in the close up picture where you fan out the elastic and stitch it down. What kind of elastic is it?

Okay, so I want to make this really bad, but I’m afraid that I’ll make it then it won’t fit over my hips. My waist is 30, then my hips are 36. If I do it according to those instructions (add 2 inches), will they fit over my hips?

Loved your tutorial. I want to try adding a waistband as you suggest in your market skirt tutorial. My granddaughter has the same waist measurement as the circle skirt example above – 19″. How long should my waistband casing piece need to be? Thanks so much

hiiiiii … i love this tutorial! i’ve had it saved for over a month to try it since I had classes going on. now that i finally got the materials and I made the pattern, it doesn’t seem as though I have enough to make it the way you said it and instead I have to make two semi-circles as you said. only thing is, I did the math for the pattern the way you said it but the radius seems too small for a semi circle? What do I do now? I’m really bad at math so I have no idea as to how to change it 🙁
I finally found the perfect material and a lace one to go on top and it’s so beautiful but I’m sitting here staring at it with no idea of what to do :((

Thank you for this tutorial!! Is 3 am, and I just finished making my circle skirt. If wasn’t for the tutorial I’ll probably be lost and made a mess. I’M so happy i didi it, Some times you under estimate you abilities. I never knew I could do this all by myself, Now I feel like keep exploring and keep finding out things I thought I couldn’t do but I certainly CAN!! Thanks Again XOXO Fe

Thanks for the tutorial, hoping this pattern is as easy as you make it look. I am on the bigger side so I am going to use it and cut it in gores as you suggested previously. Here’s to alot more nicer clothing than just sweats! 🙂 Thanks!

Dana would this work with 2 halves of a. Donut piece if you only had a very wide half yard and sewed the two half circles together to form the same shape?
Wondering if you have ever tried this?
Thanks
Karla

I am quite addicted to these skirts!! I have made them for all of my nieces birthdays and have made several for my daughter. One of my favorites was one for my niece… I didn’t quite make it long enough, so I made an under skirt of a corresponding color to add some extra length. It turned out so cute!! But my very favorite was my most recent one, made of a lightweight corduroy since I wanted something for the fall. It turned out so cute, that I went out and stocked up on corduroy to make a bunch for my daughter.
Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial!! I have gotten so much use out of it and a lot of compliments on the skirts I have made from it!! 🙂

this tutorial is awesome!! I just made this skirt for my little one and I normally get frustrated with patters and them not working for me. But not this one! I think I have found a new gift to give and make!! thank you thank you!

Hi
Thanks for a wonderful and simple upload. I have gone through a couple of sites and have found yours the easiest to follow. Probably you would have guessed it by now I’m a beginner in sewing and have only fixed a couple of buttons or stitched a lose thread.
So my question is I was wondering the measurement for the elastic waist that you have taken for Lucy’s skirt? I think you have not mentioned it as I have not come across the same.
I would appreciate your reply as soon as possible.
Thanks in advance.

Thank you so much for such a great tutorial! I just made one for my daughter (well, okay, it’s not quite finished, because I need more bias tape trim since 1 pack was not enough). But it is so, so cute and super simple! I have fabric to make matching skirts for her and I and I can’t wait! Thanks again!

Thank you so much for your amazing tutorial.
This week is homecoming week for my daughters high school and at the last minute (day before) she decided she wanted to do the theme for tomorrow which is Disney Day! I used your easy tutorial to kick out a “Minnie Mouse” skirt from your site to go with the rest of her outfit. It turned out so cute!!
Thank you again!!!

Thanks for this. I have read through it and made notes. I need to make some circular wrap around skirts for a dance class that we have at our church for 5-10 yr olds.
This is sure going to make it easeier for me
Thanks heaps
Elizabeth

I found your tutorial on pinterest. Today is a Sadie Hawkins Hoedown that I am chaperoning for a bunch of high school students from my school. I wanted a new outfit, but needed something quick. Last night I sewed up a circle skirt to go with a peasant blouse. I started with the blouse (which took 2 hours) and finished with the skirt (which took 1 hour!) I am very impressed with the result!

I am 17 and have very little experience sewing and I made my first one today and it turned out perfectly! I will definitely be making another one tonight! I will be the envy of all my friends at school on Tuesday! I am going to make these for my sisters and all my neices for Christmas this year! They are adorable! Thank you so much for the fantastic tutorial!

What kind of stitch do you recommend for sewing the elastic. I am a new with sewing and I used a wide zig zag. But I’m nervous that it will not be strong enough to hold up to all the stretching elastic goes through…

Oh shoot! I’ve been so excited about trying this pattern and love the ease with which you present the steps…. BUT…. I overlooked one detail. The lovely wild horses on the material we chose will be galloping sideways and upside down 🙂 Ok, off to find a pattern for a gathered skirt with an elastic waistband (since we’ve already bought, measured and cut the wide elastic). Me and my brain cells….

hi dana,
I was thinking of making a circle skirt for a school project but I’m using pleated material and when I fold it the pleats end up horizontal. Some one told me that a half circle skirt would be better, do you have that on this website???

I am still pretty new to sewing, but your tutorial looked doable for me. I broke two needles just trying to sew the elastic together. The thread kept looping like crazy underneath as well. What might I have been doing wrong?

I’m making a skirt with 8 alternating colored panels. Would cutting each panel on the grain and sewing them together change the way the skirt hangs as opposed to cutting the panels in a circle. I still want it to flow the same way it would if I cut a full circle.

Thanks for this tutorial. Made this for my daughter and very pleased with the results- would love to make one for myself too.
People like you make sewing accessible and achievable for so many women. Keep up the great work!

I made three of these skirts yesterday after reading this tutorial! Two Christmas skirts for my daughters and even one for myself!!! Love, love, love this tutorial! Thanks for breaking it down and explaining as well as you did! I am pretty sure my little girls need about a dozen more in different prints 😉

Nice weblog right here! Additionally your website so much up
fast! What host are you the usage of? Can I am getting your associate hyperlink in your host?
I want my site loaded up as quickly as yours
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I accidently cut my skirt out in the middle of the fabric instead of having the edges of the pattern on the fold, so will have to have 4 seams down the sides. I’m wondering if I should go buy more fabric and start over (I used a pink felt), or if the skirt will still turn out? I don’t know if it will look weird having 4 seams down the sides.
Any advice?
The flannel is kind of see thru too, so I’m wondering if I should make a slip for under it?

Are you limited to skirt length by how wide your fabric is off-the-bolt? For example, my fabric is 60″ wide. Folding it in fourths, one side is 30″. Taking 5.5 inches off for the radius leaves my skirt length 24.5 inches max. Right? Is there a way to make it longer?

I plan on making this skirt tomorrow, and I was wondering, how would I make the top go out more, or like the bottom has more fabric? I love this skirt: http://www.etsy.com/listing/115864804/star-wars-battle-skirt-custom-size
Am I being blind and both the skirts are the same (besides fabric) or how could I make them more visually similar?
Thanks in advance, and I wanted to say thanks for creating such a thorough tutorial. 🙂

I just found this web site on how to make this skirt. Thank you so much for the step by step instructions. I read many websites and did not understand the radius and then how to get the circle. Your instructions were so easy to follow and now my daughter has a “50 style poodle skirt” for her back to the fifties dance next week. Thank you.

Your blog was my first skirt ever…the simple straight skirt. I had just bought a refurb sewing machine and started attempting to sew. I was so thrilled with making a skirt for the girls. This circle skirt will now be my favorite!! Just made one in multicolor chevron that is sooo fun and cute. I used a one inch waistband, b/c the store already had the exact teal elastic that matched the teal stripe in the chevron material. I loved the measurements and tutorial…all were easy and perfect. The only thing I would ask, is there any other pointers on sewing to elastic? I pinned and pulled… and then ripped and pinned and pulled tight again :-)…messiest stitch I have ever done! I finally ended up basting it in place as best I could AND then sewing a top stitch that was neater and ripping out the basting stitch. Would a certain needle help better or just more practice? Thanks again!! Love everything on here…and you are helping a girl conquer her fear of sewing! Tiffany

My daughter wanted a circle skirt for Christmas. I cut two skirts, one of Christmas fabric and one of a solid blue that matched the colors in the Christmas fabric from some light cotton fabric. I sewed them right sides together at the hem, turned them right sides out and then attached a waistband casing at the top with elastic in it. I love the extra weight the two layers give! The skirt is still light and fun, but the weight helps keep it modest whether she’s twirling, sitting, or playing around. Now she has a reversible circle skirt (with no edges that can fray!) and that can be worn not only for the Christmas season, but all year round. It’s like having two skirts in one! We love it.

Dana. I couldn’t believe it when a website for a no sew poodle skirt listed your website for a cute sewn version! So famous, you are! Anyway. We have a sock hop that I am in charge of for our school and I don’t sew well, but now I wish I did because your skirts are adorable!

Thank you so much for sharing your circular skirt making instructions. I had to make a long circular skirt for my daughther’s dance show and I didn’t know where to start. You have helped me gain some mummy points!

I know this post is an old one, but I just encountered it today. I work at a fabric store and I often joke with customers about how easy a circle skirt is. Mine are just three seems and a hem! (I make mine down to the floor though, usually takes about five yards of fabric, so the circle is actually two pieces of fabric) It pleases me to see someone else using the math rather than a bought pattern (I thought I was the only one who did that!) I have a measuring tape marked with my waist and hem lines, and just rotate that on my material, marking it with chalk. I always get complimented for my skirts.

Thanks for the tutorial Dana 🙂 I made one for a birthday present with 4 different colors (I sew 4 rectangles and then cut the skirt) and it was a great hit. The birthday girl loved that depending on how she wore it, she had 4 “different” skirts.

Thank you so much for taking the time to figure out the math and take all the photos for this awesome tutorial! I am so excited to make this skirt (one for me and one for my daughter!). You made it so simple for us and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

Dana, this skirt is fantastic. I made one last night for my 1 year old and made it reversible with an applique monogram on each side. This is only the second thing I’ve ever sewn in my life and it turned out great! – goes to show you how wonderful your tutorial is for helping newbies! Question – where did you get that fabulous polka dot fabric? I glanced through the comments to see if you have already answered that but didn’t see it…. thanks! Carol

Have you thought about using a “rolled hem” stitch on your serger when you hem the skirt? That would eliminate the need to turn up the serger edge on your skirt? I am using this to make 12 costume skirts for a program at a school. Looking for short cuts!

My daughter has a 27″ waist but her hips are 37″. I am thinking that with the two inches we add to her waist size to allow the fabric to give when figuring out our radius will not be enough for her to actually pull this skirt up (or down) over her hips. (Not so much a problem when you are creating this pattern for a little girl who has yet to develop that womanly hour glass figure. Smile.)

So in my head, I thought how would I address this issue without losing the wonderful elastic band and not having to go to a zipper or any type of slit in the back of skirt? I am thinking that you would take the actual hip size, then minus the 2 inches for extra give that we initally added to the waist measurement and then divide that number by 6.28. So my radius math looks like this: 37″(hip size) -2″ = 35 divided by 6.28 = 5.57. This should give you ample room to pull this skirt up. Do you think I am headed in the right direction? I am going to tackle making this dress this weekend and am not much of a sewer.

Thank you for your tutorial. Your website is FANTASTIC!!! I will visit often.

As an adult, I prefer doing the two half-circles and sewing them together, because then I can add POCKETS. No skirt should be without pockets. I sewed a dress about 30 years ago that had nice pockets, and I’ve used that pattern piece (many times copied as the originals wore out) since then.

I am making 12 of these for costumes for a Christian School here in MI. I plan to use the “rolled hem” setting on my serger to hem the skirts since it leaves a very fine hem and since I am using all pastel fabric, I am leaving my white thread in my serger. That way you do not have that nasty hemming to do. What do you think?

You_are_the_BEST!!
I’m planning on sewing my gown for my son’s wedding coming up in October. While looking online for some pattern ideas, I noticed almost all chiffon dresses having only one seam in the back, no side seams, yet draping very nicely on the body. The thought of circluar cutting did cross my mind, but I rejected it thinking the dress will be puffy at the waist. Then someone online wanted to know how to sew her wedding dress without side seams, to be like a circular skirt. I looked up circular skirt and found your tutorial. I screamed out loud, YES!, that’s it!

Haven’t started making the dress yet. Still deciding on what type/color fabric to use.
When it’s done, I’ll definitely come back and let you know how I made out.

Hi Dana and everyone else! I am quite new to sewing but I love the idea of a circle skirt. I have just bought an Ikea machine and have been trying little projects. I have followed your instructions for this skirt as they seemed quite straightforward but I think maybe because my elastic band was half the width of yours, the skirt wouldn’t go up my legs! Maybe I went wrong in the calculations. I also used a zigzag stitch. Why do you think this happened?

Dana,
I just wanted to write and say thanks for your tutorial on the circle skirt. I looked at a lot of others on internet and none of them compared. You made the directions for getting the right measurement really easy to follow. I credited you on a blog post I did about the little Pinkalicious circle skirt I made for my grand-daughter. (www.theredfeedsack.blogspot.com). I’m really enjoying your blog and subscribed to get updates. Thanks again! ~ Dori ~

Hey, thanks for such an easy to follow pattern with lovely, clear pictures. I just made my first circle skirt and it looks awesome! I bought 25m of 2″ elastic, so I guess I should get off the computer and start making more circle skirts!
🙂
x

this is sooo helpful!!! thank you sooo much for putting this online! I’m using this for a project in my sewing class and I cannot wait to see how it turns out! I am making a few alterations (I’m using navy colored chiffon and putting an underskirt and using a zipper instead of the elastic.) if you have any tips please let me know! I start on it tomorrow! wish me luck!

I had trouble with “bubbles” forming in the elastic as I sewed it on — like the needle was catching on the rubber inside and pulling up a loop. Switching to a ball point needle solved the problem though. Hope that helps someone else! Thanks for creating such a great tutorial! I made two of for my 5 year-old, they’re adorable and she loves wearing them!

thank you SO much for such a wonderful tutorial. this’ll be my first project and I can’t wait to get started. your instructions are great and I’m so thankful I don’t have to worry about a zipper or sewing the elastic into the fabric!!!

Tried this but when I sewed the Skirt to the waistband it went all uneven and looks awful and I no it’s on the inside but i still wanted it to be perfect 🙁 have u got any tips on how I can make it better so it’s looks and feels nicer? And thankyou for all your great tutorials xxxxx

In the midst of making the circle skirt. Looks so cute so far! I am using the overcasting foot on my sewing machine to serge the raw edge (I’m assuming this is the same thing based on my manual; I’m totally new to sewing). It doesn’t look exactly like your picture and I’m thinking I probably don’t have the stitch length-width and/or thread tension correct; can you tell me what you set yours at?

I’ve researched many circle skirt tutorials and this one works best for me. Thanks for taking the time to post this tutorial. It’s very detailed and the photos aid a whole lot.
I can’t stop making these for my girls. I do them with different fabrics and each one has a chic twist to it. Thanks again.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
You saved my life this week when I was asked to make FIVE poodle/circle skirts for teenage girls at a summer musical production of A Midsummer Nights Dream.
I winged my first attempt and failed miserably.
Your tutorial NAILED IT !!!!
All my very best to you!

Perfect! My 2 year old picked out some Dora fabric today and wanted a skirt. This was easy and quick. I’m thinking of using this easy pattern for her princess dress up skirts that she has asked for. I found this linked on Pinterest.

It is so funny. I was reading you blog on dyeing elastic and clicked on your circle skirt. What do ya know. I had been here for tips on the construction of a circle skirt just days before. Now my black poodle skirt can have the pink elastic waist band I was dreaming of. 🙂

Another great tutorial… I hope you’ll see this comment. I am making school girl costumes for a ballet (the girls are 12 – 14 years, but on the small side), and the director wants circle skirts, but he would like pleats in them. Is that possible? Also, if I am attaching this to a shirt to make a dress, how would I do that? Is that too complicated for a comment?? lol. I would like to have a removable waistband that will cinch the skirt so that we can use them in later years and just adjust waistbands and not take out seams….. I hope you can help! I’ve never made costumes before, and this is making me nervous!!!

Hi Dana,
I didn’t use to want to sew until I started following a sewing blog that I picked up on pinterest. She referred to you as her inspiration, and I started following you too. This was all 2 months ago. I just got a sewing machine and this skirt was my first sewing project ever! It turned out ok, although I found it was hard for me to do the elastic sewing. It looks so cute on my 4 year old daughter, and she loved the twirls she can get out of the skirt!! Thank you for posting pictures and step by step instructions! I can wait to try my next project!! I’m obsessed with your blog!! I wish you’d post the instructions for the first day dress too! That looks so adorable!

When you serge the inside of the skirt, do you have to fold the edge down? I do not sew very much, and can not find a serging or zigzag attatchment for my Kenmore model 54 sewing machine, so I was wondering if it matters what kind of sewing design I use.

Thank you so much for this tutorial! It the best one on circle skirts that I have found; you make everything very clear.

After doing all the pattern/planning, I found that the length was too long to keep on one, complete donut; hence, I have to do a two-paneled skirt. Since there would already be seams down the side, do you think I could add pockets, or do you think that would add funny bulk to the side?

Also, I was at Jo-Ann’s today, and they have colored elastic! They had olive, blue, green, pink, grey, and khaki. I think they only had it in 1-2 inch varieties.

Thank you for saving the day! My daughter’s class is doing a 50s party for the 50th day of school on 10/30. And I thought I was done sewing once the Halloween costumes were complete, nah! Anyway this worked up very quickly. now praying it fits my daughter since she is sleeping

Thank you for this tutorial!! I found it on Pinterest by searching “little girls skirt”. I’ve been frustrated that I can’t find a long enough skirt for my almost 5 year old daughter. I can sew basic things, but have never made clothing… but the skirt turned out great! I love the size & shape of it, and my daughter love how well it twirls! 🙂

Thanks for this tutorial! I used it for when I had to make a skirt for a cosplay. I used a bottomweight because it was the only fabric in the store that was the exact color i needed, but it still maintains a very nice fluffiness to it and twirls perfectly. I don’t own a serger so hemming it was really hard. It was also harder than I thought when it came to sewing the skirt to the waistband. But when hemming it, I had to fight to iron out all the wrinkles and twists. There are a few there but they’re not noticeable. Thanks so much for this tutorial. I wish other tutorials online were as easy to comprehend as yours.

Thank you so much ! My daughter needed an urgent skirt for her tap exam. For a mom that has only ever made a dog bed cover (straight lines), I followed your tutorial and made the most gorgeous purple polka dot skirt. Thank you for the step-by-step instructions, they were really easy to follow.

Nena, I am terrible at math, but this was pretty easy. Measure around your waist (I measured right above my hips and got 36″), then add two inches to that measurement (36+2=38). Now divide that by 6.28. So it should look like 38/6.28=5.58. Since you are making a circle out of a rectangle, you use the 5.28 number to measure from one corner of the pattern paper and draw a semicircle. That will be the part that you cut out for the waist of the skirt. From that semicircle you will measure how long you want the skirt to hang from your waist. I wanted mine to end just below my knees so I measured from my waist to just below my knee and got 22″. Now you have to translate that to your pattern by drawing a larger semicircle 22 inches from your smaller semicircle that started in the corner. Does that help?

I just made this for myself and it took a total of 3 hours from start to finish. It was super easy and this tutorial explained every step perfectly. I’m an intermediate sewer so I really appreciated how easy this was. Thanks!

First skirt done! I see many more in the future. My 5 yr old grand-daughter loved it. She had been wanting a twirly skirt for a while. Any suggestions on how to add shorts to it? I can’t believe how easy it was. Thanks for the great tutorial.

I was wondering if someone could explain a little more in depth about keeping the elastic “tout” while sewing it to the skirt fabric. If the elastic is smaller than the skirt fabric, shouldn’t the fabric be gathered?

Pull the elastic “taut”…or “tight” as you’re sewing. Meaning, stretch the elastic so that it’s the same length as the fabric while you sew. This will cause the fabric to gather up on the elastic and stretch a bit when you wear the skirt.

I am NOT a seamstress, but I followed this tutorial completely, and I MADE THE most adorable fancy circle skirt for my granddaughter for a school dance….I actually made it very long (ankle length) and put a golden lining underneath a shimmering glittery overskirt….IT COULDN’T have been easier!!!! Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOO much for this perfectly put-together instructional guide!!! She will be the Belle of the Ball!!! We will definitely be doing this OVER AND OVER again!!!

Dana, just wanted to say thanks for the detailed photos and step by step explanation of how to attach an elastic loop to a skirt. I created an Elastic Waist Tank Dress earlier this week and was SO grateful to have discovered this tutorial to help me with that tricky step. And now, it’ll hopefully help my readers because I linked to it several times in my tute today. You rock! So glad to have discovered you through Ashley at Lil Blue Boo. http://www.thinkingcloset.com/2014/05/05/rustic-vintage-spring-mantel-balsam-hill-giveaway/

If I wanted to add a zipper using 1/2″ seam allowances, would I just add an inch to the waist measurement? I’m still new and trying to figure this out. I’ve used the pattern but never with a waistband.

I’ve just made this in a lightweight viscose jersey print for my daughter. It looks really good, and I know the waist band is the right fit because I trie dit round her whilst she was asleep! Lovely easy to follow instructions. Thanks so much. I’m going to have a try at and oval shape to see if I can get a dipped hemline effect next.

I made this for my friends little girl, but because I used Satin, I used a ruffle for the hem and then top stitched the skirt hem with the ruffle seam facing the skirt . It turned out darling and soooooo simple.

Hi Dana, thank you for all your tutorials! On the circle skirt, how do you recommend ironing down and sewing the outer edge of the circle skirt nicely? (I don’t have a Serger.) Yesterday I was working on your baby circle skirt and it took me FOREVER to double-fold the outer edge and sew over it, simply because curves are not easy to manage. Would you recommend clipping extra fabric every few inches? Thanks!

Yea, ironing a circle skirt just takes a while….no fancy tips to share there.
You could try clipping, but I don’t think it’s going to take any less time to go around with your iron. I just press little sections at a time and keep moving down. Listen to some good music while you do it 🙂

Thank you so much for this tutorial! I just made 5 of these for myself, but I’m having a little issue due to the difference between my hips and waist. When I pull on my skirt, I can hear thread popping/ breaking when going over my hips. Any advice on what I can do to fix this? If I make the elastic bigger, it won’t fit my waist nicely, but I concerned about all the snapping threads each time I pull on my skirt. Any advice would be super helpful 🙂

Hi I tried this skirt yesterday, but found the hole for the waist was huge, I used the correct maths formula given, I managed to cut some of the material off then found it wouldn’t go over my chubby thighs! Then when I managed to get it on it was too big on the waist ! Just seems a disaster, what did I do wrong please,help as,I really like,these,skirts!

Hi I know this might be a silly question but if ur hips are more than ur waist plus two inches, how will the skirt fit ova them? Im new to this and have some beautiful fabric but im not sure about this one part. Thank you xx

I use a roll of brown postal wrapping paper to make patterns. You can buy in a roll at Dollar Tree for $1. Also, check with local moving company. Sometimes they have used packing paper that is slightly used and clean for free.

I am making a white cancan petticoat with matching overlapping ruffles. Question, What type of material to use ? For I want it flouncy and not to heavy.
I’ve seen other cancan girls wear something like polyester but it seems to shiny.
Please,Please Help
Babs

One suggestion, I am 76 & have sewed for the public (up until about 15 years ago) since I was 16. In making a circular skirt, if you want it to truly hang properly, you could attach your waist band but let it hang for about 24 hours for all of the bias in the skirt to relax, have the child put it on & mark an even distance from the floor all the way around. This is so cute, I can see I’ll be sewing for the great granddaughters. Have a blessed day!

Hi Dana,
I recently bought the First Day Dress Pattern (which I LOVE) and am wondering if I can use the skirt part of the Swing Dress for the Circle Skirt? If so, would any adjustments need to be made?
Thanks!

Hi I will be making a circle skirt for a lady in a wheelchair but she wants a waist band that stretches because she had to put it over her head. Can I sew the elastic to top of the skirt and then fold it over to cover up the elastic and stitch it. It seems if I do it this away I would have to cut the waist of skirt larger is this so. Please let me know thanks

If you need to make a pattern – any pattern – you can use old dry cleaner bags like glue between pieces of paper to join them together. Lay a strip of plastic between the two papers and iron them to melt the plastic.

I love this tutorial. This is not the first time I have gone back to it for reference. I’m doing something different this time though, adding it to the bodice of another pattern. Should I still add the extra 2 inches for give or leave it at just the waist measurement? I am okay with gathering slightly to fit the bodice. Just thought before I proceeded I would ask, just in case. Measure twice, cut once — ask first, cut later kind of thing!

Hi. I need to buy all my supplies at once. My radius is 6.05 and I’d like a 16-17″ skirt. It’s for a halloween skirt and I’ll use a polyester satin. Can’t quite figure out how much 60″ fabric to buy. Can you assist me?

I love this site, and all of your tutorials! This halloween, I made a poodle skirt for my 11 year old daughter. I have sewn some, but by no means am an expert. I used your tutorial above and modified the waist band a little, since I didn’t have the wide elastic. I serged the top seam just to finish the edge, then took the elastic and zig zag stiched it to the outside of the elastic, just to the top edge. I then folded the elastic under, so the fabric encased the elastic, and sewed the bottom part of the casing so the elastic was not showing. This was the very first time sewing with elastic, and while my attempt wasn’t perfect, I know that I’ll be using this technique in the future for other skirts. My younger daughter asked me to make her a twirly skirt like her sister’s so she could twirl as well. Guess I need to buy more elastic. 🙂

My daughter would like to make a 3/4 circle tank dress, with 4 panels in the skirt, for 4H this year. We’re doing our research, planning, and making a practice dress now. I can’t find a tutorial to help me draft a 3/4 and calculate yardage. I obviously can’t create a circle and take 3/4 of it. That leaves the waist 1/4 too small. Can you help with circle challenged mom?

not sure you still monitor this as it is several years old….. but if anyone has the answer, I would be greatly appreciative……. do you think using bias tape for the hem would allow the skirt to hang properly? I am not concerned with “twirl” factor, as I am making this for a 0-3 month old….. thanks in advance for any help given

Thanks again for this tutorial. My daughters and I have now used it to make a number of skirts. I am going to post a tutorial for a dress I made recently to my family’s blog, and I wondered if you would mind if I include a link to this tutorial for instructions on how to create a pattern for the skirt. I would like to be able to provide readers with detailed instructions and pictures of that process, and I found your instructions here to be very easy to follow.

Thanks for this! I wonder if you can help me with something – I am using this pattern to make a tutu-like skirt for my daughter. I thought I had enough tulle for 4 layers, but after cutting I see that I only have enough for three. If I sew it together with three layers, and then it doesn’t look like enough, will I have to take it all apart to add the last layer, or can I add it separately? (I should add that it’s for a costume more than real clothing, though she’s insisting that she loves it enough to wear for real clothing afterwards…)

I’ve made seven of these (really!) and it gets easier every time! I did a variation where I laid a square of sheer blue fabric over the skirt and stitched it as an overlay for a fairy feel. I’ve used light cotton, flannel and even fleece! Thank you!

Today I made my first circle skirt ever and I’m really happy with the result! Since I’m pregnant I used the bottom part of a extra long top folded instead of elastic band and it worked out great! Can’t wait to wear it! Thanks for the great tutorial!

Hey, I find it a bit difficult to tell from the pictures but this skirt seems to fall a bit too high for me, what would happen if I made the circle larger? Would it still sit well?
Also I’m looking at sewing a large cute out shape (of an octopus) on mine, any tips? Or do you think maybe fabric paint/pens would work better?

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I made the circle skirt for a 5 yr old which turned out great; but, my 30 yr old niece wants one and neither my husband or I (and he is highly mechanical) can get it to work out on 45 inch fabric. I need a waist of 31 inches (total with the 2″ addition); a radius of 4.9 or 5…..There just doesn’t seem to be enough width for it. Can anyone be more explicit? I saw where one lady asked the same thing and was directed to the circle skirt for a baby…not sure how that showed how to use same pattern for an adult.
thank you!

This is so simple! Do you think it would work making the waist a drawstring instead of elastic? I really dislike the feeling of elastic for some reason. Or hemming the top, adding belt loops, and making a matching fabric belt?

I’m wondering whether this will suit me (age 60+) as I know ther suited me at 20!
And also wondering what fabric would be suitable for a Autumn/Winter skirt? I want to alter the pattern so it’s a Wrap-around me with ties and waistband in one.
Thoughts, please?

Hi, thanks for this tutorial. I am just wondering why you sewed the elastic waistband on this way, rather than sewing it on the right side of the fabric and then flipping it up, so that the seam is on the inside and no stitching is visible on the outside? That was my first instinct but I’m wondering if you tried it and it didn’t look right? Thanks!

Quick question, I’m working on this with my baby cousin and we didn’t get enough fabric (1 yard of 45″ fabric) so I made 2 quarter circles (or would it be considered semi-circles?). Either way it looks like the waist might be too small. Should I sew up the side seams and attach it to the elastic (which we have enough of) or cut some extra pieces out of the fabric and have 4 seams?

Thanks for the great tutorial Dana. I have a question about stitching the elastic to the skirt. I was thinking of using a twin needle to attach the elastic waistband so it had more ‘give’ while looking neater on the outside with the two lines of straight stitches. I know the twin needle is great for jersey knit fabric, but do you think it would work well on the elastic?

I just pressed the edge under two times with an iron and sewed it in place with my standard foot. But you could experiment with other feet that can do a rolled hem or other options.
If you have a serger, it’s nice to serge the edge and then press it under once and sew it in place.
It can take a long time to go around the edge of that big circle 🙂

I’m new to sewing clothing, I’ve only sewn children’s clothes and only used cotton. I’m making matching mother/daughter skirts using a silky fabric that is polyester. I do not own a serger but of course will use a zig zag stitch. My question is; How do I give a nice hem without using heat?

Cute project!
You can use an iron on polyester. Just keep it on a low setting so you don’t melt the fabric. Do a test first on a piece of scrap fabric. I’ve ironed that same kind of fabric many times and you’ll be fine!

Just wanted to say thank you for the tutorial. I wanted to use this info paired with the double sided circle skirt tutorial from you and mie. So, I did your idea with the elastic waistband but put 2 pieces together so it would still be double sided. It turned out great. Also, I am sure you are aware but JoAnn’s sells colored elastic now. I also used double wide fold over elastic for the bottom and it came out super cute. I wanted to attach a pic but can’t 😉 Anyway, thanks so much for this tutorial. Now I am working on making one for my 14 year old! She was inspired by your polka dot fabric 😉

If you go down to your local newspaper, they either give away or sell end rolls for a minimal price. ($1/ea.) Ask at the front desk. They have no newsprint on them. They work great for making patterns and there is a ton of paper left on the roll, so it will last a long time.

HI Dana, I’ve made a couple of different skirts from this pattern — LOVE THEM ALL!! However, any thoughts on adding this skirt to the bottom of a t-shirt for a t-shirt dress? My daughter has a great shirt with…. issues. I’m thinking to make the skirt, add the elastic, then add to end of the shirt??? Maybe another way??? If you’ve done this and have a link, please let me know. Thanks so much!! AMW

I love making these skirts!
Question: I would like to make one of these for my niece and she has a bit of a bubble butt. I’m afraid the skirt will be raised in the back and longer in the front. Any advice?

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS TUTORIAL! IT IS NOW MY GO TO SKIRT FOR MY LITTLE GIRLS. MY FIRST I MAD REVERSIBLE WITH AN ENCASED WAISTBAND. I CUT TWO SKIRTS TOGETHER, SEWED TOGETHER AT HEM (BOY WAS THAT A LABOR OF LOVE), AND THEN ADDED A SEPARATE ENCASED WAISTBAND. I HAVE MADE IT WITH ENCASED WAIST BAND SEVERAL OTHER TIMES FOR SIZES 2T-6. I HAVE HEMMED IT, REVERSED IT, ADDED BIAS OR JUST LET IT HANG FOR THE HEM. OUR PERSONAL FAVORITE METHOD AND BEING MADE LATER TODAY, IS TO ADD TO BASE OF A TEE SHIRT.
MY GIRLS LIKE SPECIAL BIRTHDAY DRESSES, BUT I WANT THEM TO BE FUN – NOT SO FANCY THEY NEVER WEAR THEM. SO WE ADD AN APPLIQUÉ OF THEIR CHOICE TO A TEE SHIRT AND THEN ADD A CIRCLE SKIRT! PERSONALIZED TO THEIR TASTE, BUT WITH THE FUN TWIRL FACTOR! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TUTORIAL AND MANY OTHERS WE USE. DEFINITELY KEEPS ME COMING BACK HERE!

My friend and I made your circle skirt yesterday for her Grand Daughter. We changed it slightly by making it 23″ long and cutting the waist at 5″. We wanted the full circle plus gathers because the material was very very sheer and thin. The material was lavender tulle with little sequins all over it. It is a long ballerina skirt to be worn over a leotard. Instead of attaching to elastic, we cut a facing that matched the circle on the top and encased the elastic to accommodate the gathers. It came out so cute.

love this tutorial – just made myself a skirt for a fancy dress outfit and it came out looking great! i’m so pleased. so simple and the pictures really help. i’m a novice when it comes to sewing and i’m learning all the time. how good this came out really gave me a boost!

The easiest costume:
I made one out of satin for my teenage daughter. I actually made 2 circles so one could act as a slip and then I sewed tulle between the layers to make a non-itchy crinoline. On the ham, I don’t have a serger so I actually used a double-fold bias tape in a contrasting color. Black elastic, red skirt and crinoline, black bias tape. Then I cut out white 1″ circles with a larger hole punch on full sheet sticker paper to make large white polka dots. My daughter wore the skirt with a long sleeve black shirt, her Minnie Mouse ears, black tights, and some Keds we had painted yellow (replacing the laces with red ribbon with white polka dots).

Draw your pattern the same way—1/4 of a circle
And then fold your fabric in half so you can cut a 1/2 circle. Then fold another section of your pattern in half and cut another 1/2 circle. Then sew them together so you make 1 big circle. You’ll need to purchase twice as much fabric this way….but that’s the only way to do it if you want a skirt that’s longer.

Hi!!
Thank you for this great tutorial!! I’m wanting to enclose approx 1″ wide elastic at the top, instead of using the wide elastic like you used here.. I need advice on adjusting the pattern.
Thank you sew much! :)👍

Hi Dana, greetings from Indonesia. I came to this tutorial because I’m going to make a maxi skirt for myself. I had a circle skirt before, and it was so wide, I had trouble riding my motorbike (some parts of the skirt went inside the back wheel gear), and almost got me into accident. If I want to make like a half circle skirt with this tutorial, how should I lay the pattern on the fabric, and how many folds of fabric? Please advise